News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-04-21
ANDREW EHMAN's ROMANCE.
The Strange Story of an Escaped
Convict Before a State Board of
Pardons.

LANCASTER, Pain the spring of
1917 Andrew Ehman, a cigarlnalker, aged
Is, was convicted on a charge of bur
glary committed in this county. and SEN
fenced to five years in the county iail.
He served nearly four years, when the
memorable jail delivery, managed by
the Abe Buzzard gang, several of whom
wero 1ncarcerated In the jail, occurred.
Ehman escaped with the rest, nearly all
of whom were recaptured. A reward of
| 500 was offered for the apprehension of
| Ehman and the others who were at
large, but no trace of them was ever
| found.
A month ago person who knew Eth
1 man IN this county, and had worked
VIII him, went to Delaware, Ohio, after
! employment, an extensive cooperative
cigar factory having been started there
about a year ago. The founder of the
factory and it's President was a Young
man named Charles A. Smith, who, al
though having been but two or three
years in the place, was O leading citizen
there, and foremost in many enterprises.
The Lancaster county man recognized
in this prominent citizen of Delaware
the escaped convict, Andrew Ehman.
He sent word to Lancaster, and an of
ficer, armed with all the necessary
papers, went to Delaware and arrested
Ehman. The arrest would have resulted
in a riot but for the good sense of the
prisoner himself, as the citizens gener-
ally refused to accept the story the de-
tectlves told. Ehman confessed to the
truth himself, and the officers were per-
mitted to depart with their prisoner.
It seems that Ehman had tramped to
Delaware after his escape from the Ian
caster Jail, and had obtained work at his
trade under the name of Smith He
was such an expert and excellent work
man, and his character and habits proved
to be SO uniformly correct, that he quick
ly obtained the confidence of his employ
ers, was made their foreman, and subse-
quently started the cooperative works,
which, at the time his identity was dis
covered, we're employing 200 hands. He
was instrumental in building a Lutheran
church in the town, became treasurer of |
the Knights of Pythias, and occupied
other places of trust He married an es-
Unable young woman, owned fine resi-
dence, and was a model and exemplary |
citizen in every way.
So popular was he with the people of |
Delaware, from the highest to the lowest, |
that the knowledge of his youthful error,
and that he came among them an escaped
convict under an assumed name, has not |
lessened him in their estimation in the |
least, and they have sent strong peti-
ton, signed by Judges, preachers, the
Mayor, and hundreds of others, asking
the Board of Pardons of this state to |
grant Ehman pardon, that he may be |
restored to them and his family. This |
petition has been supplemented by many
others from this county, and Ehman's |
case has been presented to the Board in
a strong plea by B. Frank Eshelman,
who was District Attorney of this county
when Ehman was convicted. That the
unfortunate young mans reformation is
complete and unmistakable, his remark
able career since his escape from jail
leaves no doubt, and it is certain that he I
VII yseeive an unconditional pardon.